YouSaid · the spoken record

Vassily Nebenzia

lines on the record: 656
first: 2020-04-16
most recent: 2021-05-26
sittings or episodes: 80
sources: un-security-council

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“We believe that it would be a significant step forward in improving the fairness and transparency of the sanctions regimes and enhance the rule of law in the implementation of the Council’s decisions. We are confident that the Council should stick to its priorities, focusing on major issues of great urgency that represent threats to international peace and security. We appeal once again for the Council’s agenda not to be overloaded and abused with the consideration of thematic subjects on the agenda of the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council or other United Nations bodies. Efforts to improve the Security Council’s working methods can bring about practical results only when Council members reject politicized approaches and coordinate their initiatives on the basis of mutual respect for each other’s concerns and priorities.”
2020-05-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/418 (2020) · source
“We would like to use this opportunity to draw the Council’s attention in this regard to our draft presidential note on penholdership. We are ready to actively and constructively engage with all Council members in order to adopt it. There is no doubt that this would be a step in the right direction, helping enhance the effectiveness of the Council’s work and ensure that the drafting of Council documents is conducted in an inclusive manner enabling the full participation of all members of the Council. And the products themselves will be better from the outset and easier to edit and agree on. We consistently raise the issue of humanitarian delistings and exemptions. There is a lot to analyse and enhance here. More food for thought is the idea of extending the Ombudsperson institution across all sanctions committees.”
2020-05-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/418 (2020) · source
“We truly believe that the Council can and should do more for the sake of improving the effectiveness of its work. We welcome the progress made in recent years, and thank our Japanese and Kuwaiti colleagues for their painstaking efforts in 2017 and 2019, respectively. As a result, we have a renewed note S/2017/507, and stress that its provisions are yet to be implemented in full.S/2020/418 I would like to specifically stress the issue of penholdership. As we are all aware, note 507 reiterates that any member of the Security Council may be a penholder and that more than one member may act as co-penholder. However, the reality is that three permanent members remain today sole penholders on most of the country-specific dossiers on the Council’s agenda.”
2020-05-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/418 (2020) · source
“Russia has always consistently supported the Council’s efforts to improve its working methods. We share the aim of making the work of the Council more democratic and transparent. To give an example, at the beginning of this week we strongly advocated for an open video-teleconference with the participation of Director-General F. Arias of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, since many of questions we planned to ask him are definitely of interest to the public. Syria, as an interested party, also advocated for that. It is a pity that our initiative was not supported by those colleagues who champion support for transparency on other occasions. Having said that, we fully support those who advocate that a balance between efficiency and transparency should be found.”
2020-05-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/418 (2020) · source
“We have everything, including the records; the only difference is in the name, but there are legal reasons for that, which cannot be ignored. I heard today that we need to devise contingency plans. I think we have already done so, and today we are operating under those plans. But we need further contingency plans relating to our operation and functioning in the post-lockdown environment. That time will inevitably come. We have to start preparing for it now. We have always stressed that the issue of the working methods in the Council is a delicate one. We are pleased that the Informal Working Group on Documentation and other Procedural Questions adopted a number of important provisions to improve the work of the Security Council at the end of 2019.”
2020-05-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/418 (2020) · source
“I would like to thank our colleagues from China and the Dominican Republic for their very professional and effective stewardship in their capacity as President in March and April, respectively. Now our Estonian colleagues are also on the right track. Despite somewhat protracted discussions on the provisional working methods in these extraordinary circumstances, the Council was eventually able to agree on the modalities. We see that today the Council is operating rather well in the circumstances in which we find ourselves. We welcome that and call for keeping to this agreed modus operandi. Today we have all the tools to allow us to work nearly as intensely as — or even more intensely than — we used to.”
2020-05-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/418 (2020) · source
“I thank Ambassador Inga Rhonda King, Permanent Representative of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; Ms. Karin Landgren, Executive Director of Security Council Report; and Mr. Edward Luck for their briefings. Russia extends its appreciation to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines for chairing the Informal Working Group on Documentation and other Procedural Questions. We thank the Estonian presidency for organizing this open video-teleconference on the working methods of the Security Council. We need to keep issues related to the functioning and effectiveness of the Security Council on the agenda. The pandemic has given an unexpected boost to the topic that we discuss today.”
2020-05-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/418 (2020) · source
“As one of international guarantors of the Dayton Peace Agreement, Russia will continue to monitor to ensure that Agreement is strictly implemented. We support the inter-Bosnian dialogue based on mutual respect. We hope that all international partners who are genuinely interested in long-lasting stability in Bosnia and Herzegovina will promote cooperation between the Bosnian parties and refrain from biased or unilateral assessments, which would only exacerbate the situation. We urge Bosniaks, Croats and Serbs to use collective approaches to settle outstanding issues on the solid basis of the Dayton Peace Agreement, which guarantees the equality of the three constituent peoples.”
2020-05-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/379 (2020) · source
“It has been confirmed, in particular, that the Bosnian Serbs were subject to attacks from the region under the protection of United Nations Blue Helmets. We hope that the Independent International Commissions appointed by the Republika Srpska will help shed light on these tragic events. We call on all international presences in Bosnia and Herzegovina, including the Office of the High Representative, the Delegation of the European Union and the Mission of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, to align their activities in compliance with their respective mandates and the policy approved by the Steering Board of the Peace Implementation Council to promote local ownership over international decision-making.”
2020-05-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/379 (2020) · source
“We are wondering why the High Representative almost demonizes the activities of the Republika Srpska Government-appointed Independent International Commission for Inquiry into Suffering of all Peoples in the Srebrenica region in the Period 1992–1995. As we understand it, these structures have been established due to the well-known flaws in the activities of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals. We have expressed our concerns on this matter more than once. Documents from the United Kingdom archives, declassified and published in January this year, reveal important details of the events during the armed conflict in Srebrenica.”
2020-05-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/379 (2020) · source
“The High Representative is not entitled in any way to promote the European or Euro-Atlantic integration of Bosnia and Herzegovina and should not abuse his mandate by doing so. His responsibility is to uphold the civilian aspects of the General Framework Agreement. We must recall that decisions of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina on foreign policy should be consensus-based. We call on the High Representative to pay more attention to the numerous pressing issues in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, among them the pending appointment of a new Federation Government and the Constitutional Court, the incomplete collegium of both Houses of the Federation Parliament, the lack of progress on holding local elections in the city of Mostar, and the absence of the constitutional equality of Serbs in the Federation cantons.”
2020-05-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/379 (2020) · source
“Nevertheless, the High Representative is still finding made-up arguments in order to preserve indefinitely the outdated international protection over this sovereign and independent State. We call on our colleagues in the Security Council and the Steering Board of the Peace Implementation Council to take the necessary steps for the early closure of the Office of the High Representative. In his report, the High Representative refers to the need for the fulfilment of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s so-called “standing obligations” with regard to NATO and notes that the authorities at all levels in Bosnia and Herzegovina are committed to a State that is “irreversibly on course for Euro-Atlantic integration” (S/2020/345, annex, p.4). We have to emphasize that there is no consensus in Bosnian society on this issue.”
2020-05-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/379 (2020) · source
“Instead of playing the blame game, the Office of the High Representative should encourage dialogue between the communities and provide good offices in order to help Bosnians resolve their disputes. The time for external governance is over. The Bosnian people deserve the right to determine their fate on their own. We do not share the report’s assumptions on alleged stagnation and even rollbacks in the implementation of the General Framework Agreement for Peace, including the five objectives and two conditions for the closure of the Office of the High Representative. In our view, the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina is calm and stable and does not represent any threat to international peace and security.”
2020-05-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/379 (2020) · source
“At the outset, I would like to thank High Representative Mr. Valentin Inzko and Ms. Hasić for their briefings. We listened carefully to what Mr. Inzko has just said, and we carefully studied the written report (S/2020/345, annex). We regret to observe again that the quality of the High Representative’s reports has not improved. Unfortunately, we regret to note that criticizing the Bosnian Serbs for everything that happens in Bosnia and Herzegovina has become a standard pattern of those reports. Serbs are blamed for all the challenges now facing Bosnia and Herzegovina. As a result, the report does not give a balanced picture of the situation on the ground. The High Representative ignores the fact that the majority of issues in Bosnia and Herzegovina arise from the lack of consensus among the three constituent peoples.”
2020-05-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/379 (2020) · source
“We are very concerned that, upon the Syrian Health Ministry’s request to launch a medical laboratory in Al-Hasakah for processing COVID-19 samples in one of the State hospitals, WHO redirected the Ministry to a clinic belonging to Médecins Sans Frontières. WHO must have realized that this would lead to problems with Damascus. In general, we would like to be briefed about what WHO is actually doing east of the Euphrates River. We would be grateful if our United Nations colleagues could shed some light on our above-mentioned concerns. How are the financial resources at OCHA’s disposal actually allocated? What portion goes to Government-controlled areas? We will continue to pose those pertinent questions and expect clear and transparent answers.”
2020-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/354 (2020) · source
“Only several hospitals function there and nothing has been done to resettle refugees from the camps. A lot of problems are caused by mines. The situation in Al-Hol camp is dire. It is unclear what measures have been taken to fight the threat of COVID-19 in Rukban. We note that it was Syrian and Russian efforts that made it possible for 19,000 people in Rukban to return to their homes from March to July 2019. As I mentioned this morning, the fighters who escaped from the camp two weeks ago clearly said that the aid sent to the camp was not distributed among its inhabitants but was, instead, seized by Maghawir Al-Thawra fighters.”
2020-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/354 (2020) · source
“By the way, closed Al-Yarubiyah did not prevent the local administration from receiving four machines for COVID-19 tests from abroad. It seems that the equipment arrived there through the same channels as the strange humanitarian aid that consisted of anti-riot gear for Islamic State in Iraq and the Shams prisons and internally displaced persons camps. We mentioned that during the morning meeting. And by the way, why do they insist on Al-Yarubiyah and refuse to consider the Abu-Kemal crossing that the Syrian authorities were prepared to use? In the context of the difficult humanitarian situation in the north-east, we have a question — what have the occupying Powers done there over the past six years except cut ties between Kurdish areas and other Syrian territories?”
2020-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/354 (2020) · source
“I note that before the New Year those supplies were lying idle in Iraq and then suddenly became indispensable. We reject the explanations provided to us thus far, and we have strong reasons to believe that those delays did not happen because of objective circumstances. We strongly urge our colleagues not to waste their time on looking for a way to advocate — explicitly or implicitly — for getting Al-Yarubiyah back by claiming that it is the only solution. We ask them to focus instead on engaging humanitarian agencies in constructive dialogue with Syrian authorities. They do not have to knock on the door; the door is open. If there is a will, there is a way. I urge them to not lose time and squander this opportunity. This is the only solution.”
2020-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/354 (2020) · source
“Everyone can interpret the statistics as it suits them, and statistics are very easy to manipulate. The report of the Secretary-General clearly states that 1,094 missions were conducted by the United Nations and its partners from within Syria, and that they reached 14 governorates. Three convoys of medical aid were sent to the north-east — all from Damascus, two by WHO and one by UNICEF. We are told that those convoys covered only 30 per cent of medical needs. I would like to remind the Council that the Syrian authorities authorized an airlift from Erbil. It is not the fault of Damascus that it did not occur. In fact, we are astonished, to put it mildly, by WHO delays, since February, in providing the urgent supplies that we hear are now expiring.”
2020-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/354 (2020) · source
“We would like to make it clear for everyone that the closure of one of the border crossings for United Nations assistance does not mean its total closure. As we all know, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) continue their shipments, which are larger than those of the United Nations. We hear that NGOs are doing a lot of work in the north-east. We have a question: what exactly is the United Nations doing there? We hear that the assistance of the United Nations and NGOs is not duplicative. That means there is coordination between the two. We would like to learn more about it. We also reject the contention that Damascus is not properly cooperating. Some interpret the Secretary-General’s report (S/2020/327) as they see fit, stating that there was no progress in cross-line access. That is not true.”
2020-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/354 (2020) · source
“We deplore the de facto collective punishment measures taken against the Syrians living in Government-controlled areas. We want to be briefed on the steps taken by the occupying Powers in the Syrian territories known to be out of the control of the legitimate Government in order to conform to international humanitarian law. We have heard not a single word so far in that regard. In addition, we would like to ask what exactly WHO and OCHA do to help fight COVID-19 in the territories under the control of the Syrian Government. We note that there are 43 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country, according to WHO. We cannot agree to the cure that our colleagues suggest — a full reinstatement of the cross-border mechanism. We note that the cross-border mechanism was created as a temporary tool to be used on an extraordinary basis.”
2020-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/354 (2020) · source
“Why is the humanitarian community so reluctant to address the epidemiological situation in the country as a whole? Does the United Nations have any comprehensive strategy to address the pandemic in Syria? When it comes to Damascus, all we hear about is the destroyed health-care system’s inability to cope with the potential pandemic crisis. The Government of Syria is doing its utmost to fight the spread of COVID-19, despite cruel unilateral sanctions. As I already mentioned in this morning’s meeting, our colleagues have a very rosy — and very hypocritical — picture of how their sanctions affect ordinary Syrians and how their exemptions allegedly solve the people’s problems. We reiterate our call, and echo calls made by United Nations officials, to lift unilateral sanctions against Syria.”
2020-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/354 (2020) · source
“Despite the recent briefings by representative of WHO and OCHA, as well as the latest report of the Secretary-General, of 23 April (S/2020/327), we still have questions to which we have not yet gotten any clear answers, such as explanations on the discrepancies in humanitarian data and figures provided by United Nations entities, Headquarters and United Nations forces on the ground. Instead, we hear only emotional statements on the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Idlib or north-east Syria. I ask a logical question — why is only that part of the country subject to the close scrutiny of our colleagues? Those areas are under the control of foreign Powers or the de facto authorities, but responsibility for the humanitarian situation is attributed to Damascus.”
2020-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/354 (2020) · source
“Where is the nationwide warfare in Syria that warrants the proposal of a nationwide ceasefire? Who do they think would become signatories to such a ceasefire? That would be very interesting to know. I now turn to the main part of my statement. We thank Under-Secretary- General Mark Lowcock for his briefing. We have heard a lot today on the potentially disastrous impact of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in north-east Syria — and in Idlib for that matter — and on steps taken in that regard by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).”
2020-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/354 (2020) · source
“Before I come to the humanitarian situation in Syria, I would like to say a couple of words about what I heard before I took the floor. First of all, I would like to tell my colleague from the United States that there is no international consensus on isolating the Syrian regime, as she chose to call it. The international consensus on Syria is codified in resolution 2254 (2015), which states that it is the Syrians who should decide their fate and what regime they will have in future. Whatever they decide, it will be their decision, not anybody else’s. Secondly, I note that many participants referred to a nationwide ceasefire. Before they propose such a thing, they may wish to give it a little thought. In order to have a nationwide ceasefire, there must be nationwide warfare.”
2020-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/354 (2020) · source
“Nevertheless, it is worth noting that, even using a magnifying glass, the board could not establish a single civilian death caused by, to quote the report, alleged shelling by the Syrian air force or its allies. But the board did manage to uncover victims of shelling by terrorists. According to the report, not a single medical facility was destroyed; only minor damage is reported. We know that some of the members were not very pleased by that finding. In fact, some were immensely disappointed. But the finding represents a clear trend, whatever the members might say to the contrary. We have been saying it for long time, and, strangely, now it has been confirmed by an unusual source, namely, the report of the so-called Board of Inquiry.”
2020-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/353 (2020) · source
“I will not engage in a dialogue with Christoph, who, as I understand it, co-opted himself in the Board of Inquiry. I must say frankly that his inquiry does not ring a bell with me. If it does, I will come back to him on that. But I would recommend concentrating on those Syrians who during the nine years of conflict have been tortured, beheaded and killed by the terrorists. I think that there is ample room for inquiry here. However, I wanted to address another issue. I admire the power of deduction of our British colleague, who so elegantly presented his deep analysis of the Board of Inquiry. The members know that we do not recognize the Board of Inquiry established by the Secretary-General in excess of his authority.”
2020-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/353 (2020) · source
“Syrians live throughout Syria, not just in Idlib or in the north-east. We urge our colleagues not to exploit the current situation but to actually help all Syrians. There is a positive side of this story: we welcome the steps taken by several Arab States to establish contacts with the Syrian Government in the interests of helping that country overcome the economic and humanitarian crisis and combat the coronavirus. Syria is an integral part of the regional landscape. Syria needs to return to the Arab family. That will both facilitate a Syrian political settlement and improve the overall situation in the Middle East. In response to the statement by the representative of the United Kingdom, I wish to say the following. I will be brief.”
2020-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/353 (2020) · source
“A simple conclusion: without the return of the entire territory of Syria to the control of its legitimate Government, the prevailing problems will not be solved. This also applies to the fight against the pandemic. We would recall also that appeals to Damascus to step up its efforts to fight the pandemic are irrelevant, as 30 per cent of its territory is under the effective control either of foreign troops, the opposition or terrorists. Those controlling the territories should be responsible for that. We state once again that unilateral sanctions are not only crippling the Syrian economy and affecting the population first and foremost but also blocking the supply of medicines and equipment to the country, thus exacerbating the difficulty of the fight against the pandemic.”
2020-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/353 (2020) · source
“We would be interested to learn what is happening in the Rukban and Al-Hol camps and what measures are being taken there to prevent the spread of COVID-19. On our part, we would like to share with the Council this story. Two weeks ago, a group of 34 militants belonging to the Jaysh Maghawir Al-Thawra was able to leave Rukban and surrender to Government forces. They fought their way out, because one cannot just leave Rukban freely. Those people told Western reporters what was happening in the camp, in particular that they had been trained in subversion operations and that the humanitarian assistance that reaches Rukban camp is resold. I would ask members to read their interviews themselves and broaden their horizons.”
2020-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/353 (2020) · source
“And, as before, we do not have a clear picture in areas that are illegally occupied. We hear many appeals to the Syrian Government — what it should do and what it should not do. But we hear very little about what is happening in areas under occupation or out of the control of Damascus. We would recall once again that the responsibility and accountability for everything that happens there lies with the occupying Power. We hear about riots in prisons in the north-east and prisoners escaping to neighbouring countries in the region. We hear about aid sent by the coalition to the north-east, supposedly to fight the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), that included batons, shields and other anti-riot equipment.”
2020-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/353 (2020) · source
“The situation has de-escalated significantly, but illegal armed groups and terrorists from Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham continue to perpetrate violations. Hundreds of civilians died in February and in March. Yesterday we all heard about a suicide bombing that claimed more than 40 lives in Afrin. In the north-east, from 20 to 31 March alone 82 people died and 100 were wounded. Radicals are impeding the work of the Russian and Turkish military in Idlib, organizing provocations and creating blockades. It remains necessary to divorce the moderate opposition from terrorists. The pandemic cannot be used as a pretext to whitewash terrorists. We see the picture clearly. The situation is difficult in those Syrian territories that are not under the control of the Syrian Government.”
2020-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/353 (2020) · source
“News of the death of Astana, which some of our colleagues rushed to announce in the Security Council Chamber last month, proved to be fake. A teleconference of the Ministers for Foreign Affairs of Russia, Turkey and Iran took place on 22 April. The Ministers underscored the leading role of Astana in promoting a Syrian settlement, including the stabilization of the situation, the facilitation of the return of refugees and the resolution of the humanitarian problems facing the civilian population, as well as the intra-Syrian dialogue within the Constitutional Committee. The Ministers agreed to continue intensive contacts in order to prepare for the next Astana-format summit. The ceasefire in Idlib established as a result of the Russian-Turkish protocol of 5 March is generally being observed.”
2020-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/353 (2020) · source
“We thank Special Envoy Geir Pedersen for his briefing. There is no doubt that the pandemic has affected the way in which we address conflict resolution, including the political settlement in Syria, but the Special Envoy is continuing his efforts nonetheless. We welcome the agreement by the Syrian parties on the agenda of the third round of negotiations within the framework of the Constitutional Committee. When that meeting will take place, nobody can predict today — the sooner the better, but only the World Health Organization (WHO) knows. We will still continue to support the Special Envoy; to engage with the Syrian parties; and to facilitate dialogue between Damascus and territories in the north-east of the country.”
2020-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/353 (2020) · source
“In particular, in October 2017, we were pleased to host the nineteenth World Festival of Youth and Students in Sochi, which assembled more than 20,000 people from over 180 countries.”
2020-04-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/346 (2020) · source
“It is also vital to encourage young people to participate in socially meaningful activities, help them improve their skills and talents, boost their self-confidence and self-esteem and teach them the value of peaceful coexistence. In Russia we prioritize support for youth organizations and the promotion of intercultural and interreligious dialogue among youth. The Russian Federation is doing a lot to help young people to achieve those aims. They are at the core of our national policy on youth until 2025, which was adopted by the Government in 2014 and has been implemented at the federal, regional and municipal levels. We S/2020/346 S/2020/346 also focus on preventing the spread of radical and terrorist ideology among the younger generation. We are holding numerous seminars and forums on this topic at the national and international levels.”
2020-04-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/346 (2020) · source
“Special attention should be also paid to the phenomenon of external stakeholders meddling in the internal affairs of sovereign States by indoctrinating and brainwashing young people, in particular with the aim of shaping the domestic political landscape or overthrowing legitimate authorities under the guise of promoting democracy or human rights. External support for youth should not trigger unrest or protests. We are convinced of the importance of promoting a culture of peace and tolerance among young people. To that end, each State has to create favourable conditions to help young people realize their full potential and be well-integrated into society and its social, economic and political activities. Providing youth with high-quality education and employment opportunities are important steps in that regard.”
2020-04-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/346 (2020) · source
“Their search for self-identification against the backdrop of a lack of life wisdom, experience or education, as well as their efforts to find their place in society, are often exploited by extremist and terrorist groups in order to involve youth in illegal activities. In this regard, United Nations anti-terrorism mechanisms could and should be useful in helping young people by promoting stronger cooperation on the part of the international community in shielding young people from the influence of terrorist and radical ideologies, cutting off the channels through which such groups incite young people and combating the use of the Internet by terrorist groups for the recruitment of young people.”
2020-04-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/346 (2020) · source
“At the same time, the involvement of young people in any political activity should be meaningful and based on their professional knowledge and skills, rather than driven by the desire to produce beautiful statistics or to fill certain quotas pertaining to age or gender. Moreover, young people should not be drawn into any political activities until they reach the legal age to do so. The task of promoting a positive image of youth should not overshadow the real challenges we have to address as members of the Security Council. It is well known that, unfortunately, young people are especially vulnerable to radical ideologies.”
2020-04-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/346 (2020) · source
“We would like to thank the Secretary-General for his presentation of the youth, peace and security report (S/2020/167). We are also grateful to the Secretary- General’s Envoy on Youth, Ms. Wickramanayake, as well as to the other briefers, Ms. Olla Al-Sakkaf and Mr. Gatwal Augustine Gatkuoth, for sharing their views. It goes without saying that youth have a great potential and an important role to play in the development of society, inter alia, through meaningful participation in a wide range of peace-related tasks such as conflict resolution, peacebuilding and sustaining peace. The need for the constructive engagement of youth in activities aimed at maintaining peace and security in situations of armed conflict is also reflected in Security Council resolutions 2250 (2015) and 2419 (2018).”
2020-04-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/346 (2020) · source
“The Council should continue to lend its support to UNMIK, which is a key international presence in Kosovo that plays a leading role in monitoring the situation, maintaining stability and creating conditions conducive to a negotiated solution.”
2020-04-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/339 (2020) · source
“We have a question: When will criminals who committed numerous atrocities against the Serbs, including trade in human organs, be brought to justice? The President of Serbia offered cooperation between Belgrade and Pristina in fighting the coronavirus disease. We welcome it, but we note with concern the publication in Kosovo media of personal data of Kosovo Serbs infected with the disease. That is irresponsible and unacceptable. In conclusion, we support Belgrade and Pristina in their efforts to achieve a sustainable and mutually acceptable solution based primarily on resolution 1244 (1999) — one in line with international law and endorsed by the Security Council. No fast-tracking of the so-called final normalization between Belgrade and Pristina or imposition of artificial deadlines can produce that goal.”
2020-04-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/339 (2020) · source
“In December 2019, six Kosovo Serbs were indicted, but there are serious doubts regarding the impartiality of investigative procedures. We must once again point out that the Kosovo Specialist Chambers and the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office in The Hague are doing nothing to investigate crimes committed by the Kosovo Liberation Army. After many years of endless red tape by yet another expensive army of judges, prosecutors and experts, not a single indictment has yet been issued. All this legal folderol has been going on since 2011 when the EU took it upon itself to investigate facts stated in the report issued by Mr. Dick Marty, former member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.”
2020-04-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/339 (2020) · source
“We still await concrete information on the perpetrators of an incident in the Zubin Potok municipality on 28 May 2019, where officials of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) were detained and beaten by Kosovo police. That crime remains uninvestigated and its perpetrators unpunished. We demand and insist on a thorough investigation and that its perpetrators be brought to justice. Incidents targeting Serbian religious sites and cemeteries also continue. The decision on the plot of land owned by the Visoki Dečani Monastery has not been implemented for several years. Pristina continues to shy away from cooperating with Belgrade in the investigation of the murder of the Kosovo Serb politician Oliver Ivanović in January 2018.”
2020-04-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/339 (2020) · source
“Miroslav Lajčák, the new EU Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue and other Western Balkan regional issues, will be able to find a solution to this issue. We continue to deplore plans backed by some Member States to create a so-called Kosovo army, which run counter to the provisions of resolution 1244 (1999) and will lead only to the destabilization of the situation in Kosovo and in the Balkans as a whole. We bring to the attention of our American colleagues that the NATO Bondsteel facility was established within the framework of peacekeeping operations in order to implement resolution 1244 (1999), but it later became a de-facto American military base in Kosovo. It is now being used to train Kosovo Albanian units with the aim of creating Kosovo armed forces — contrary to the provisions of resolution 1244 (1999).”
2020-04-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/339 (2020) · source
“The fact is, they were only temporarily suspended, accompanied by Pristina making even more unacceptable demands of Belgrade. We see and notice attempts by the United States and the European Union (EU) to create conditions for dialogue to resume. We believe that such attempts will fail if they ignore the provisions of resolution 1244 (1999) and if unilateral measures introduced by Pristina are not lifted. EU-facilitated dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina remains stalled, first and foremost because the EU did not ensure that Kosovo Albanians fulfil the obligations taken on seven years ago — to establish a community of Serb municipalities in Kosovo. We trust that Mr.”
2020-04-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/339 (2020) · source
“We would therefore like to request that all who speak under this rule be informed of what background and symbols are appropriate when they brief the Council. The situation in Kosovo continues to deteriorate. The rosy pictures of Kosovo’s democratic achievements that we were presented with and heard at this meeting did not convince us otherwise. We have been consistently saying that this project is not viable. We hear today about a new looming political crisis in Kosovo. What is more, Kosovo-Albanian leadership demonstrates no interest in dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, despite Serbia’s readiness to resume negotiations upon Pristina lifting discriminatory tariffs. Many in the West hurried to welcome, as they did in today’s meeting, the announcement by Mr. Albin Kurti that the tariffs were abolished as of 1 April.”
2020-04-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/339 (2020) · source
“We thank Mr. Zahir Tanin, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo, for his briefing. We welcome the participation of Mr. Ivica Dačić, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia. We listened carefully to what Mr. Konjufca had to tell us today. By the way, I am looking at the flag in the background of the picture of Mr. Konjufca and I fail to recognize what flag it is. Judging by the colours, it may be Swedish or Ukrainian, or it may be the flag of Barbados. Or, since we are discussing the Balkans, is it perhaps the flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina? I note that Mr. Konjufca spoke under rule 39 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure.”
2020-04-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/339 (2020) · source
“In this regard, we consider it critical, in order to preserve the peace process, to refrain from any provocative actions or unilateral steps. The task of achieving inter-Palestinian unity remains extremely urgent. Russia is making efforts to bring the Palestinian ranks together. We highly appreciate the role of our Egyptian friends in this regard.”
2020-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/341 (2020) · source
“The Palestinian side has repeatedly stated that it was ready to resume negotiations on final-status issues. Israeli representatives have said the same thing. Consultations with both parties should be continued so that they can determine the parameters of such negotiations and proceed with them as soon as possible. Regrettably, reports indicate that settlement activities and the demolition of Palestinian property continue. Deadly clashes have not stopped. We took note of the understanding reached between Israeli political leaders on overcoming the domestic political crisis. However, we note with concern the plans, according to incoming reports, for the unilateral implementation of the so-called deal of the century with regard to the annexation of Palestinian territories.”
2020-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/341 (2020) · source